Massage Therapist

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

• Interview patients to gather medical information.
• Administer therapy treatments to patients using hands or physical treatment aids.
• Maintain medical records.
• Develop patient therapy programs.
• Assess physical conditions of patients to aid in diagnosis or treatment.
• Confer with other professionals to plan patient care.
• Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients.

Typical Working Conditions

• The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
• Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
• Close physical proximity with other people.
• Frequent contact with others.
• Dealing with external customers.

Tools & Technology used by Massage Therapists

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Massage Therapists

• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Massage Therapists

• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Sales and Marketing—Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

• Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing very high growth compared to other careers.  There will be a need for about 5,174 new Massage Therapists to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

This career may require an Associates degree.

View the local post-secondary education options for this career from MSTATE/Wadena.

Spotlight on MSTATE

• MSTATE’s Massage Therapy Program

If you have a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive condition that requires educational support, learn about support options at MSTATE.

Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

• Child Development
• Computer Applications
• Cultural/Ethnic Studies
• English Composition
• Health Education
• Personal Finance
• Political Science
• Public Administration
• Public Speaking
• Safety and First Aid
• Sociology
• World Languages

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise